An intriguing time travel story in which the protagonist is suddenly living life in reverse. The novel begins with the seemingly perfect life of Riley and her husband. After an event at a family gathering, Riley suddenly finds herself hurled forward into a future very different from anything she imagined. As she moves backwards in time, she is catapulting towards an event so shocking she can't believe it will happen as well as re-evaluating her relationships with those around her. Interesting and enjoyable even if the ending is a tad predictable. I thought it would have been better to end with the penultimate chapter too but it was an interesting take on time travel. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I left this book most impressed by the author's ability to structure the outer world moving backward while the main character is emotionally moving forward. In terms of the actual plot, the speculative element of Riley waking up a year into the future and then moving backwards, felt artificial because there's no rhyme or reason for why it happens nor why it returns to "normal," which made it hard to really sink into the story.

This book was great. The characters were enjoyable. The plot holds your attention. I would read another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of Never Ever You by Sarah Echavarre, in exchange for my honest review.

So many stars! So much love!

This book was spectacular! The writing was perfection. The characters were so well-written. The storyline itself was amazingly creative! Many thanks and much applause to Sarah Echavarre!

I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me an E-ARC

I do not want to spoil this, so just keeping it vague.
Riley as our main character was previously lingerie model with money and own business with perfect husband and life at the beginning, and then one day everything changed. So she needs to take a look on her life and love from another perspective.
The book was quick to read for sure, the writing was not the best, but not the worst. Sometimes the writing was repetitive and redundant and I swear I have never ever seen so many times used the phrase cup his/her head with hands.
I really enjoyed this one. Time leap and living life backwards caught my attention for sure, very quick and easy read with interesting idea of time jumping.
3,5 stars rounded to 4

This was such an interesting and engaging book! It was one intriguing moment after another! I enjoyed it very much!

Great execution of what could be a difficult plot to pull off. Could not put down, as I found the pacing of moving backwards in time as the novel progressed to be thrilling. We’re along for the ride as this alternate reality/time travel unfolds on how our characters ended up here in 2025. Really loved Milo, he’s a keeper book boyfriend!

I absolutely adored Riley and her quest through time!! The characters are so endearing (Milo - where can I get my own Milo?! Poppy - loyal, wonderful). It gives you a different perspective of your own life to see the other paths Riley's life could take. What different paths could I have in my future should I make this choice vs. another choice? If I zoom out wide, I can see completely different lives for myself based on different choices and different people. And I loved going through that journey with Riley. I was charmed and fully engaged by this book!

It was really entertaining to read this story backwards, a story of a devastating divorce and a new love, of family dynamics, deception and honesty.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me the arc of Never ever you.

- "I thought I was happy. I thought my life was perfect. It wasn't even close."

- "Yesterday I woke up exactly one year into the future. Today I woke up the day before that. I seem to be living life backward, one day at a time, while no one else notices."

Riley's life in London seems idyllic and blissful: a former lingerie model turned successful businesswoman, happily married to a caring husband who's all she needs to balance the not so good parts of her life. However, her perfect world is turned upside down when she wakes up a year after their first marriage anniversary to discover her husband has left her for another woman, with whom he now has a child. To add to the chaos, she finds herself dating her ex-husband's cousin, someone who has always managed to grate on her nerves.

The author skillfully introduces Riley's initial shock and disarray upon discovering her shattered reality. However, beyond the gripping premise, the execution falters. The writing lacks depth and is subpar, leaving characters feeling shallow, the plot was rushed and left many unanswered questions. While the story had the great potential of a charming romantic comedy, it ultimately fell to deliver due to its hasty and abrupt ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I thought this was a beautiful love story. I enjoy stories that time leap. I thought it had a nice flow and enjoyed the plot.

Sweet love story with a twist. Love time leaps stories. This was a romance with family drama. Wish we could all get a time leap to help us see clearly.

I like the concept of this book, but I had trouble connecting to the characters and I thought it became very repetitive in places.

Some of the family “drama “seemed forced, and it just overall didn’t land with me.

Quick read but unsatisfying.

"Never Ever You" plunges readers into a thrilling ride as the protagonist wakes up a year ahead, beside a man who is not her husband. Throughout the book, she unravels the mystery behind her time leap, piecing together the events that led to her bizarre situation. While the premise is gripping, I occasionally struggled to connect with the characters, which slightly detracted from the experience. However, the relentless pace and the protagonist's journey of self-discovery make for an engaging read.

Thank you for the ARC! I loved this book as I am truly a sucker for novels that incorporate time travel and romance! The plot and character descriptions had me hooked from the beginning and I can’t wait to read more by this author! Will definitely recommend as it is such a sweet read.

I'm a total sucker for books that creatively play with timelines or involve time travel, so I was excited to read Never Ever You by Sarah Echavarre. Happily married MC Riley wakes up one day next to her cousin Milo instead of her husband, Tristan, one year later than the day she went to sleep. We travel backward in time to see how this came to be and a sweet, poignant, romantic story ensues. The star of the the novel was definitely, Milo, though - I'm convinced we all need Milos in our lives after reading this novel. A special thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a super-sweet story. After a stressful family dinner, Riley wakes up in a car next to her cousin instead of in bed next to her husband! A year later! She then proceeds to wake up a day earlier until...well you'll have to read it to find out if and when it resolves.

In going back in time she learns a lot about both men and what they are really like.

As a reader, it was a lot of fun to see the story unfold backwards. There was just enough foreshadowing without it being heavy handed, and the major events felt fresh when they arrived.

I didn't read it on holiday, but I recommend it as an easy holiday read (but a well-written one with substance).

This was a great read. I am a sucker for books with some element of time travel/romance. This was a twist on the typical however as the main character jumps forward one year from her first wedding anniversary to find her life completely different, but rather than living life forward to put the pieces together, she wakes up one day earlier each day.

What I loved about this is that while there was still a lot of mystery of what and how things happened, you know the direction things are going in (for those living in the normal timeline). The author made it easy to connect with the “good” characters and easier to hate the bad ones. Will absolutely be checking out anything else from this author. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow. I thought this was such an original, FUN story by Sarah Echavarre.

I loved the characters! Riley, Milo (we all need a Milo) Poppy, Poppy’s husband. Actually his development that we got to see was one of my favorites! Riley and Milo’s families were both so fun and precious as well.

It was a creative POV, with Riley trying to piece together what was happening or what had “already” happened to her but not yet in her timeline. I loved this!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Sarah Echavarre, Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this Arc.
 
I haven’t read many books that have had a time leap element to them, so when I read the blurb on this book, I was excited to read it. This is the first book I have read from this author, and it won’t be my last.
I really enjoyed it. The storyline kept me engaged from the get-go.
Imagine waking up one year in the future and then your whole life is going backwards? The whole concept was so compelling and I was eager to know what happened between Riley, Milo, and Tristan.
 
Lots of interesting characters in this book. I adored Poppy and Desmond and their relationship. They came across like chalk and cheese, but they were inseparable. I also loved Poppy’s constant loyalty to Riley.

The family dynamics were a huge part to this story. Some of the family elements were so wholesome and warm. They really put a smile on my face. But some of the relationships were strained to say the least. Portia had me seeing red. SE must be a skilled writer to make me hate a character so much. This story does touch upon serious subjects of racism that evoke strong emotions and highlight problems in our society. Unfortunately still today.
 
Tristan! I just wanted to wallop him (and that’s being polite). The family golden boy! A complete and utter coward. When it came to Riley and being there for her, he was spineless. His love was false, and I was so happy as Riley was living her backwards life, she gradually saw that she deserved a real love.
 
I loved Milo (of course). He was so patient and caring. I loved that he called Riley “Sleeping beauty” – very apt.
And, Riley, what a fabulous protagonist. I loved her determination, assertiveness, and her vulnerability.
 
I was so happy with the ending. It was romantic and poignant, and I found myself feeling so happy and contented that Riley had found her happy ending.
 
“And in this moment - in this world, in this timeline – he’s the only one I want.”
 
Unputdownable, clever and moving. This story kept me intrigued all the way through. It has made me want to read more books with a time element for sure. Chick flick rom com feels.
 
 Released date ~ September 17th 2024